Making Powders at Home Is Simple—Do It!

The prismatic powders that top so many dishes at San Francisco’s Bar Tartine—and at restaurants across the country—aren’t as crazy as they look. “Your mom used powders; she just found them on the spice shelf at the supermarket,” says Cortney Burns, co-chef with Nick Balla at Bar Tartine. But the onion powder languishing in Mom’s pantry can’t transform dishes like the couple’s extraordinary dusts, made from ingredients like yogurt, black garlic, and citrus (pictured above).

Powders may be the stuff of four-star kitchens, but making them is simple. __And the payoff? An arsenal of bold, easy-__to-deploy boosters. “All of a sudden you have ready access to these flavors,” Burns says, “and it becomes a jumping-off point.” Master these rules and try Bar Tartine’s recipes, then bite the dust.

Go Low__:__ If you have a dehydrator, great, but we got excellent results using an oven at a low temperature.

Sprinkle Smartly: These powders have the same flavor as in their fresh state, just ultraconcentrated; use accordingly.

Save Up: Got a glut of herbs? Some stale bread? This is old-school preservation at its finest. Powders can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to a month.